Letter writer Steve Mackinder has discussed a recent inquest held
Now, call me heartless, but surely, we aren’t now expected to live in fear of experiencing an emergency medical event at weekends and bank holidays because we know only a minimal skeleton crew is available as everyone else is on the beach or the golf course if you’re a doctor.
No concrete conclusions at the inquest were drawn from the failure to attend to this elderly person’s needs for three whole days, but clearly, when you’re old and in pain, it would be nice if someone were on shift over the holidays for such an emergency.
We’re already hearing mutterings about more strikes by doctors and other medical people for more money…I’d guess the family of the old person who died of their bone infection would have something to say about whose needs come first now.
Steve Mackinder
Denver
Editor’s note: Mr Mackinder is referring to an inquest on Nigel Munton who died in a Downham care home.
Brexit was ‘pure economic sabotage’
Five years since Brexit, and a British Chancellor has finally called out Brexit for what it is.
An act of pure economic sabotage and vandalism. Politics is finally catching up with economic reality.
The OBR estimates that it has wiped 4% from our economy.
The resulting suppression of wages and loss in revenue for the treasury has increased the likelihood of tax rises in the upcoming budget.
New polling by Best for Britain shows that 3 in 5 Brits now see Brexit as a failure, with 7 in 10 of these voters blaming Nigel Farage.
His silence on the subject speaks volumes. Alongside pointing out the problem and those responsible, the government must increase efforts to work with the EU to undo the damage.
They must go further and faster in removing barriers to trade; unlocking growth, pushing prices down, and putting money back in people’s pockets.
Cllr Rob Colwell
Gaywood
Does everywhere have to have loud music?
I am writing with reference to the incessant loud music which we are bombarded with as we go about our daily lives. It’s everywhere we go, from shops to restaurants, doctors’ surgeries to supermarkets.
It’s not the music, per se, which annoys me; it is the volume. It is so loud that it ceases to be background music and, as such, we are not able to ignore it.
There are times when it is so loud it’s difficult to have a conversation, Nando’s being, by far, the worst offender.
The music can be heard as you walk by, even though the doors and windows are closed. And as long as the decibels are at that level, I shall continue to walk past.
I once asked a member of staff at a Tesco Express why the music was so loud, and I was told, “Because I want to hear it”.
No thought for those who didn’t. Obviously, customers do not come first.
Several times, I have asked for the volume to be turned down as I’ve waited to see a doctor, only to be told, “It is that loud for privacy reasons”.
Clearly, they have not heard about those little ‘white noise’ devices which can be fixed outside the doctor’s room so we cannot hear what’s going on inside.
Why are we subjected to these businesses’ predilection for loud music, which we are unable to ignore? It is forced upon us. What makes them think everyone wants to hear it?
In an age where minorities are pandered to, it is incongruous that those of us who are neurodivergent are not afforded any due diligence.
Is it too much to ask to have ambient background music to calm us, and which we can ignore if we choose to do so?
Michael Church
Lynn
BBC resignation is ‘ludicrous’
Tim Davie is certainly not on the left of politics, but the irony that he’s just resigned as BBC Director General because of the corporation’s alleged institutionalised left-wing bias seemingly acknowledges that the BBC is actually on the left! This is really quite ludicrous.
Ever since its creation in October 1922, the BBC has always been mainstream traditional “social conservative”.
Its whole broadcasting traditional output on UK politics, world affairs, ethics, religion, constitutional matters and so on has been geared to ensure its political coverage doesn’t meander towards the left.
For example, compare the enthusiastic coverage the BBC has proffered on the rise of Reform UK today since the last general election, with the direct antithetical adverse coverage afforded to Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure as Labour leader of the opposition.
Therefore, it’s quite ridiculous to contend that the BBC is overtly “left-wing leaning”.
Since social news media came onto the scene, the BBC, as a public service broadcaster, has had to balance its scope and pay attention, albeit in a very much restricted vein, to varied or different issues, opinions and voices which previously BBC editorial apparatchiks would have regarded as falling outside the acceptable domain of mainstream broadcasting.
It is this aspect which really infuriates mainstream traditional conservative critics of the BBC, not because the corporation is on the left but because it’s not now quite the reliable, unequivocal voice of right-wing opinion they’re familiar with.
So, naturally, when an isolated egregious piece of BBC Panorama editing on a Donald Trump speech is exposed, it provides them with another stick to claim the BBC is now outrageously left-wing biased and attack the very foundation of its public service role.
Yet daily the whole UK mainstream media (MSM), not just the BBC, will expurgate or omit anything if it goes beyond that domain of what the “powers that be” consider to exceed what the general public is allowed to be aware of.
Almost everything the public hear, see and read today on the UK MSM is controlled by a very small unaccountable minority who are only accountable to the political unelected capitalist class many of whom have big financial stakes in media ownership which is why they’re so concerned by the advances of social media
That’s why it’s essential for the BBC, despite its faults to remain a public broadcaster amongst a sea of commercial news competitors and media moguls.
Nick Vinehill
Snettisham
Save our green belts!
News is emerging that the Government’s disastrous promise to build 1.5 million homes is not coming to fruition.
According to a report by the Molier Consultancy, work has stopped at one in six housing construction projects, including developments with more than 20 private homes.
These projects would have provided multiple homes, the research suggested.
Diminishing buyer demand, combined with the long-term effects of inflation and rising costs, has created a storm in the housebuilding sector. Perfect Labour incompetence, lacking acumen, in an environment where new homes are unaffordable!
There is a silver lining in this cloud for West Norfolk! Fewer buildings in the area will mean preservation of green belts and a removal of some ramifications.
David Fleming
Downham
Is PM going on jollies with world leaders?
Mr Stephen Mackinder pointed out that while I criticised Nigel Farage for his swanning around the world and not attending to the welfare of his constituents, I didn’t criticise Keir Starmer for his jollies with world leaders.
Now I am surprised that Mr Mackinder has not seen the distinctions in responsibilities between a PM and an MP.
It is blindingly obvious that, firstly, there is the scope of responsibilities nationally and internationally. Need I write more?
Let me assure you, Steve, that I have written countless letters to Starmer complaining about his Stalinist approach.
When the budget details are pompously read out by the Chancellor, I assure you I will go over the details.
At the moment, I feel it will be one that the big multinationals will approve of, but one that will extend austerity.
As for my support for Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana, I do think they are two politicians who have our well-being at heart.
It is not going to be a Westminster party. That is not what the 600,000 potential subscribers want. Of course, there will not be uniformity in what members want, but there will be unity of intent and collaboration.
I was loathed to make a direct comparison between the right-wing parties, but an August Tory politician, Michael Helelstine, compared them to the ‘black shirts’ of the 1930s.
Just think of the millions that were murdered by them, and of our service personnel who fought to overcome them. A thought for today.
Mike Larcey
Downham